In a few months Smoketh will finish residency and will yet again be in a confusing crossroad. Crossroads suck because they are confusing, and I get easily confused. Back in 1997 when I couldn’t decide whether I would go to UP or to the other universities I applied to and all the deadlines for confirmation were looming we just boarded the car, took the C5 road for less traffic, and realized it was already approaching UP, hence UP. But this entry is about Smoketh and her confusion, not mine.

The options for Smoketh are, of course, a wonderful year-off, or a wonderful immediate training for some subspecialty. There is just no end for being a freshman in something, is there. We just keep on starting something, completing it proudly, only to be faced with a new, long, arduous task to begin. These series of tasks are endless, although this is not necessarily true, since all series of tasks actually do end, but they end in death. But again this is not about my annihilist introspections, but about Smoketh and her crossroads.

Crossroads. I just suddenly remember that this is the title of a Britney Spears movie back in 2002 or something. I was eating in Pizza Hut with my neighbors who apparently were planning to watch this horrendous film with some other friends after lunch. I got dragged into the movie, which featured Britney in all sorts of fetish costumes. For camp value, however, nothing beats Glitter. Glitter is the gold standard of camp.

Back to Smoketh. To correct an earlier statement, there is actually a 3rd option for Smoketh, which is to take a totally new career turn such as singing or conducting some choir while travelling somewhere far, or she can probably manage a band and travel in the bus with them and get all Almost Famous-y, singing Tiny Dancer and such. Almost Famous is a great movie, and its soundtrack a great album. My favorite song in the album is It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference by Todd Rundgren. Because indeed, I know of hundreds of times I could be in the most unfaithful arms that you always picture me… but those days are through!!!

Recently everyone has been prodding Smoketh to take-up training in a kidney subspecialty. This gets her mightily confused, as she has just, a few months ago, set her mind on a year-off. She always quotes that Jollibee breakfast commercial where a family just stays in bed and wouldn’t get up. Now that’s a huge attraction if there ever is one, staying in bed and not having to wake up at any specified time. I assure her, though, that she will get bored after doing it straight for one week, and that she should reserve such sedentation (not a true word) for old age. So now that the deadline is looming looming LOOMING, Smoketh is going to pick up that form, submit it to the renal office, and get ready for two more years of fun, excitement, and Voltaging.

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